You see, Bernie just arrived at the medium security prison in Butner, N.C.

Family members of federal prisoners have good things to say about Butner, describing it as free of the roaches and rats they say plague other federal facilities.

A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons said that all of its institutions adhere to the highest levels of sanitation.

So we’re happy for Bernie. Really.

And perhaps he will provide a bit of payback as a (sort of) Resident Lab Rat.

Inmates are regularly subjects of research projects and volunteer efforts from the nearby schools.

Dan Ariely, a Duke professor … is thrilled to have one of history’s most famous con men just 14 miles from the Durham, N.C., campus. He hopes to interview Mr. Madoff in prison about the $65 billion investment scheme that wrecked major financial players and crushed family fortunes.

“I would mostly want to know how it started,” Mr. Ariely said.

I think a lot of us are also “thrilled”, but mostly about Bernie’s new domicile.

Dan Ariely at the 2008 TED Conference

If you didn’t get a chance to view the video of Dan Ariely at the 2008 TED Conference here’s your re-do op; for a great introduction to Behavioral Economics click on the picture above.